By Nick Smith, 13th July 2024
How much value do we attach to the novelty & uniqueness of our experiences?
I’ve enjoyed many wonderful listening experiences in my decades as an audiophile, but have recently enjoyed some very different from all the rest – I’ll explain.
My first set of earphones were Westone UM1s purchased in April 2006, and in the 18 years since I’ve never owned Custom IEMs. Why? Several reasons; The difficulty of obtaining ear impressions, concern they wouldn’t fit properly, and worry they’d be a pain to sell if I didn’t like them.
I’d heard from countless hobbyists over the years how much more enjoyable CIEMs are, but always told myself universal earphones were perfectly satisfying already and customs weren’t worth the bother.
Weeks ago all that changed, when I received a pair of Tahsin Sevgel Audio Devices Model2 CIEMs.
I’ve been extremely lucky to have heard most of the world’s best earphones and the Model2s sound unlike anything else. Almost everything about them is different.
It began when I was approached by a Head-Fi member who mentioned Tashin Sevgel was looking for reviewers. Tahsin wasn’t familar to me, but the Warbler Preludes he designed years ago were – they were oft described as the most musical IEMs of their era, despite containing just a single BA driver.
I quickly learned the Model2s are Tahsin’s followup to the legendary Preludes, which utilise a very different approach to IEM construction and this time contain 2 BA drivers.
For instance – Tahsin uses copper rather than the usual plastic sound tubes, gigantic film capacitors in the crossovers, and he even coats internal components in a special resin to absorb vibrations.
After Tahsin generously agreed to provide a pair of Model2s in exchange for my thoughts I needed to visit an audiologist as the Model2s are available as CIEMs only. My ear impressions were done at Earlab in Melbourne, AUD $150 and 10 minutes of my time resulting in digital STL files emailed to Tahsin the very same day. The entire process was completely painless.
I’d no idea what to expect when the Model2s arrived… only to expect something different. I wasn’t wrong.
Packaging
The USD $3100 Tahsin Sevgel Audio Devices Model2s arrive in a solid plastic carry case that’ll likely survive being dropped from a decent height, offering them superb protection during business trips.
Case aside the only supplied accessories are an IEM cleaning tool and the stock 2pin cable which is only available with a 3.5mm plug. Disappointing for an IEM of this price, but Tahsin is probably operating under the assumption Model2 owners will prefer to choose an aftermarket cable themselves.
The overall package is the antithesis of the lavish unboxing experiences we’ve grown accustomed to with flagship IEMs from other brands, very much indicative of Tahsin’s unique approach.
Page 1 – Introduction & Packaging
Page 2 – Ergonomics & Appearance
Page 3 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 4 – IEM Comparisons
Page 5 – Cable Comparisons
Page 6 – Conclusion
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